Perfect Storm
by ThatMysteriousWriter
Summary: What if Poseidon was right about not claiming another son until after the second Titan War? What if there were other demigods in Europe that just did not want to go to camp? Meet Alice Hollins, Alec Baines, and Xander Marcus. Three demigods that should be dead, but have manged on their own in the ancient lands of Europe. This is their story. (Post BoO!)
1. Chapter 1: Alice

_Hey, long time no see!  
Okay, so recently I've been rereading the Percy Jackson series and reawakened my need for OCs and such. So, I started writing a fic about how what if there were demigods in Europe and what if some of them were from the Big Three. So, this was pretty much born and has become my brain child.  
_

_But, since Archive isn't super super friendly about OCs, I decided why not post it on here c':  
So, I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I love writing it!_

* * *

_Alice_

It was midnight and Alice Hollins found herself not sleeping again. It had been two months that she had been left alone in the desolate, haunting mansion. Alone to deal with her past and herself. She looked out the floor to ceiling glass window into the soggy vibrant garden known as her backyard. Her slow breathing fogged up the glass, hinting that it was cold out and eventually the rain would turn to snow. With a loud boom and a crash, light filled the spacious dark room. Her sky blue eyes traveled to her desk where there was a wooden small picture frame of her and two other boys smiling. One boy had cloudy gray eyes with ash blonde hair and the other had dark hazel blue eyes with light brown hair. They both had identical bright smiles, and seemed as if they didn't have a care in the world.

That's when she felt it. The pang of loneliness that she had trying to avoid all night, but could not. No matter how much she slept and how many times she pretended to be alright the feeling would always resurface like a blemish. They left last night after a fight she had with them. They had left her to the wolves of loneliness and fate; joining the wrong side of the battle that would end the days she could have spent with them. She felt tears gather at the corner of her eyes. They were her brothers, but yet she couldn't turn away from them like she did. She clenched the picture; half wanting to burn it and half wanting to just curl up with the picture on her bed and cry until she went back to sleep (for she was still in her pajamas and wanted to desperately to go back to bed).

She looked up at the ancient portrait of her how many times great grandfather hanging on the the opposite wall of her desk, hoping for some guidance; a sign that the famous demigod that would give her an insight on her fate, but none came. It hung on the wall mocking her with temptation and knowing. The sight of his sword, golden armor, and the royal red robes that were draped over his ancient military attire made her want to puke. She then remembered why she was up at this ungodsly hour of the morning.

_Her dream_.

For five years, she had taken sleeping pills that Hecate specially made for her to help prevent the dreams, but it wasn't until recently she had ran out of the medication. Then the dreams came back, but only they weren't dreams; they were living nightmares. Nightmares of what was to come, and what had happened to her ancestor. Her blue eyes traveled back outside at the raging storm. She felt a sense of comfort at each thunder roll and every lightning bolt streaking the sky. She was reminded of her distant father; who was sadly a father she could never call her own. He was the king of gods, the emperor of skies and air.

_Zeus_.

The one name she dreaded saying out loud in fear of him actually listening to her. It wasn't the fact that she didn't love him; it was the fact that it was _she_,the queen bee of Olympus, that prevented her from actually feeling any connection to him whatsoever. But, it was also the fact that she lived in the land that the gods had abandoned long ago.

"I can imagine it would get lonely here." spoke a deep voice, breaking the silence that Alice was all to used to.

Alice spun around and came face-to-face with a familiar immortal face and smiled slightly.

"You know," She started, her British accent slipping into every word. "I never get messengers this early in the morning. I figured you knew that I was awake."

Hermes gave her a knowing smile, shifting in his jogging attire. She had guessed that he had silenced George and Martha (the twin snakes that Alice had grown a bit fond of over time that were wrapped around his caduceus), just for the sake of the seriousness that hung in the atmosphere and for what was to come. The god of messengers was a frequent visitor in Alice's home, but most of the time their talks were brief and the messages she got were just small quests other gods needed her to do.

"We gods tend to know these things," He replied. "I have a message from your father."

Alice's heart dropped to her stomach. Why now? Why this morning of all of the times? She wanted to tell the god of messenger to just go back and leave the message be, but yet she knew he probably knew about what had happened the night before.

"Is it verbal or a letter?" She asked, coldness hinting at her voice.

"More or less verbal and a letter." Hermes responded, catching the coldness in her tone.

"Great." She mumbled sarcastically. "Just another thing I wanted tonight."

She looked at the god, and he looked right back at her. He gave her a knowing look and handed her a light blue envelope with her name written in Greek on the top. She held it in her trembling hands and turned it over to open it.

"What's the verbal part?" She asked, before beginning on her task.

"He said that he apologizes for the fate that's been posed upon you." The god of messengers replied grimly. "Honestly, I'm sure the other members of the Olympian council would agree with him."

"And not just out of fear of offending him? Please, if he was sincere he'd come here himself and apologize; not hide behind messengers."

Hermes gave her a slight smile, but his eyes portrayed a sense of annoyance.

"You've done enough for us already. Considering that you've picked up all of the minor quests that no other demigod would want to do."

Alice glanced outside at the storm; her light blonde bangs sliding over her eyes. She frowned.

"It's not like I have anything better to do."

She looked back at Hermes, who seemed to be about done with their conversation and was texting on his phone. He put his phone away and gave her a reassuring smile.

"He does care. He's only doing this to protect you."

"If he cared enough he would let me come back to the States, and wouldn't have left me here alone. If he cared, he would have said no to his wife placing me here."

"You have other friends don't you?" Hermes inquired. "You just didn't stick with Dakota and-"

"They're different." Alice snapped, tears promising to come. "They were my family; not just my friends. And besides, they're gone now. I'm sure you gods know what happened."

Hermes looked down at the floor, avoiding her gaze. He let out a sigh, clearly having no way of answering her statement and avoiding the subject.

"In due time, Alexandria. In due time."

She flinched at the use of her real name and her frown deepened. The god gave her a nod and she looked away as the bright light consumed the room and then died. She looked back at the spot where Hermes stood, and found nothing as the per usual. She looked down at the envelope in her hands and found her way to her cushioned chestnut swivel chair that was behind the chestnut executive desk.

Maps and charts were sprawled about the desk, classic books such as _The Great Gatsby_ and works of Homer were placed in neat stacks, and a pair of golden oblong glasses sat on top of the books. She reached for her glasses, settled them on her nose, and retrieved the letter opener from the middle drawer. She carefully opened the letter and sighed when she saw the familiar handwriting of her father.

_Alice,_

_Brace yourself. For it's coming soon._

She reread those six words to herself again, trying to understand what her father had meant by those few words, and frowned in confusion.

"What in the living Hades does he mean?" She mumbled to herself.

"Does whom mean?" responded a silvery, male voice with a hint of a British accent.

She jumped at the sudden question and looked up at the second story of the library. Standing over the black railing was yet another familiar face she knew. Alec Baines wore a smirk on his pale face, and his dark hair swept over his matching eyes. He had a eyebrow cocked up in questioning, and a slight twinkle was in his eyes. He wore his usual attire that she normally saw him in; his black biker leather jacket, unbuttoned to reveal his Radiohead t-shirt, black skinny jeans, and gray converse to match. He wore a leather bracelet that had a small skull charm weaved into it; Alice's birthday present to him from two years ago around his wrist, and his sword was on minimized and hung around his belt.

"Also, don't take my father's name in vain. It's enough that most demigods revoke his name whenever they get scared clueless, but to use it so carelessly? I mean, not that he ever complains about the scared demigods."

"Why do you always shadow travel into my house, Corpse Breath? Why not use the front door like a _normal _human being? Hell, why don't you even ring the door bell while you're at it?"

The teenage boy smiled and walked down the spiral staircase to the ground floor where Alice was.

"Eh," He started. "I'm not huge on doors, and besides, I've been friends for you for how many years now?"

"Five," She replied with a small smirk. "Five years and counting... hopefully."

He smiled and leaned over her desk, glancing at the opened letter that was laid out in front of her.

"News from you father too?" He inquired, picking up the letter to examine it as if it was about to explode in his hands.

"Yeah, but I still don't understand. Also, what do you mean by "too"? Did your father decide to be all mysterious too and leave you just two vague sentences? I'm starting to think this is a pattern with fathers that are almighty and the top three_ afentiká_."

Alec let out an easy laugh and put on his usual cool smile. Alice's propped her chin on her elbows and closed her eyes to listen.

"Nah," He replied. "He just tells me directly since I'm always down there running errands for him. Although, he did mention about another child of Hades, but he hasn't told me to actually go and met him. I heard he was a shrimp to be honest."

She opened her eyes and gave him an icy smile.

"You think everyone's a shrimp besides myself and Xander. At least you get to see your father."

He let out a chuckle and sat down on the front of her desk blocking her view of the main door to the library. His dark eyes connected with her blues for a second and then she nervously looked away. He reached out to touch her face, but she pushed his hand away.

"You've been crying." He commented examining her face.

"It doesn't matter. It was over something stupid."

"It's okay to cry sometimes, Alice."

Her eyes looked away from his, hiding the pain that had returned.

"They left," she mumbled into the gloom of the dim library. "I told them that they were making a huge mistake, but they didn't listen."

The room grew quiet and the storm echoed throughout the walls of books. She glanced nervously at the portrait of her how many greats grandfather. She half expected him to leap straight out of the golden picture frame and start lecturing her on the importance of being an _Alexandros _("My descendants gave birth to _this_ little pathetic demigod. How disgraceful!"). She shuddered at the thought and returned her attention to the boy that had sat on her desk.

"What kind of dreams are you having?" He murmured quietly, as if even asking the question would provoke some evil curse upon them.

She flinched at that word. _Dreams._ How could they be dreams when they kept her restless at night and an emotional, tired wreck in the mornings?

"I-I can't explain." She stammered, fear creeping into her voice. "I'd rather not talk about it, Alec."

The room grew coldly quiet again and Alec started to observe the golden mini globe that sat like a unused rag at the end of her desk in the silence.

"Bottling things up isn't going to help you."

"Well, holding grudges won't help you either." She retorted back.

The child of Hades face darkened in the dimly lit room. His glanced at her with his piercing eyes; they were so dark that it looked like the pupils disappeared into the abyss that were his eyes. Alice stood up, clutching the letter in her hand.

"I don't mean to hold grudges." He replies coolly. "I'm trying to be better about it."

"And I don't mean to keep things to myself," She started slowly. "But, something are better left unsaid."

She moved her way out of her desk and tiredly started to head to the door of the library. She was weary, and wanted to try to go back to sleep after all that had happened this night; even if she wouldn't even sleep to begin with. She passed Alec coldly, who looked back up from the globe to watch her leave. She glanced one last time at the painting, but not a single thing had changed. He still was posed in his stance of conquering the Persian army. His olive skin speckled with sweat and his dark curly hair clung to his face with a slight smile sneaking on his face. His golden armor was painted to look like it had a slight godly radiance, but to Alice it was just ridiculous to glorify him like was no way in Hades that he would give her guidance. He was just a ghost, a remnant of the past; her family's past. She felt warm, soft hands grab her wrist.

Alec stood next to her, surprisingly warm which was unusual for him. She could smell a faint spice wafting off of him, and she felt light headed. Her heart skipped a beat, but she tried to calm herself. Dumb crushes was definitely something she didn't need in her life right now. Alec looked at her, his eyes piercing through her thoughts snapping her out of her daze. He tugged her a little close, a slight pout on his lips.

"You used to never be like this." He stated darkly.

She could feel her throat tighten, and she wanted so badly to just run away and never return to him.

"Things change." She replied softly, trying to hide the sadness in her tone.

She removed her wrist from his soft grip, and coldly turned away. She didn't care to turn back to see the damage she had done to him. She felt her heart drop to the floor, and she felt like she was going to puke on the spot. The rain pounded against the roof, echoing throughout the library, which was making the silence worse.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

She walked away slowly, leaving Alec in the library just like how she was hours ago, and entering the desolate white hallways.


	2. Chapter 2: Alice

_Hi, yes, this is an update B) I usually write this story down on paper, but due to recent snow days I've been able to type it out c':_  
_But, to answer some reviewers (or just mainly one), all of the events in this story take place about three months after the Giant War/Gaea's Rising-But-Not-Rising._  
_Eventually (or well at the end), my OCs do meet with the Percy Jackson characters, but you'll see how it works out in like... 20 million chapters B)_  
_Also, a little heads up, I'm writing this in three (maybe four? Depends on how well it goes a long with the plot) perspectives. Sort of like how HoO went and all, so._  
_But, yeah, I'll stop talking so you guys can enjoy my story!_

* * *

_Alice_

The morning sunlight streamed into Alice's room, waking her up from her slumber. She stretched, feeling her thighs tighten from her match she had the night before last. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and her blues traveled to the frozen world outside. She had been right about the rain for it had turned into frozen white powder later that morning and her rose garden was coated with the white frost. She stretched again, wincing at the pain in her knee. She made a mental note to herself to find her knee brace once she decided to leave the comfort of her bed (for she didn't want to leave the warmth of it either). She forced herself to sit upright; her body protesting. She didn't realize how much the match had taken a toll on her physical well-being until this morning.

"I made you breakfast."

She smiled at sudden voice for she had grown used to Alec appearing out of nowhere to talk to her. He wore the same outfit he wore earlier that morning (she had guessed he didn't bother to go home that morning, but she had hoped he contacted his mother before staying at her house). He was holding a plastic, round green tray with a plate with her breakfast on it, garnished with a single violet in the vase. Alice almost wanted to laugh at him for his sudden domesticity, but held back the laugh. The food smelled so appetizing it made her stomach growl from hunger, so she didn't want to offend the one who made her breakfast. She could smell the savory crepe beckoning for her to devour it and the mixture of citrus that made her stomach long for the food even more.

"How sweet of you," she teased with her smile turning into a smirk. "I never took you as the stay-at-home-boyfriend type."

Alec's face turned a slight pink (which was unusual for his porcelain skin. Alice was almost convinced he blushed blue for she had never seen him blush before) and approached her bed slowly; a slight smile playing at the corner of his lip and the blush going away from the bridge of his nose (which disappointed Alice, it was cute whenever he blushed and it was a rare occasion to see him do so). She was surprised he hadn't said anything yet about earlier that morning, but she kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to bring up the topic just yet. He leaned in to hand her the tray, their hands connecting for a split second. They both awkwardly looked away, Alice feeling a slight flutter in her heart. She looked down at her plate, hoping to distract herself from the weird feelings she was experiencing.

"Sorry." He mumbled, but she could tell he wasn't sincere about it.

"It's fine," She smirked. "But, confess next time, Death the Kid"

The comment she made really set him off. His face turned a deep shade of crimson in a matter of seconds, and he glanced down at his hands. A moment of silence passed between them, but it didn't bother Alice all too much. She enjoyed eating her breakfast in silence, it gave time for her to collect her thoughts and plan her day. The silence continued and every once in while Alice would glance at Alec (who's face had returned back to the his normal shade of porcelain). A sly smile had grown across his features, and he started to chuckle.

"What?" Alice frowned, a bit weirded out from the sudden chuckling from the other. It was unusual for him to suddenly chuckle out of nowhere.

"You look cold, wanna use me as a blanket?"

Alice felt her face heat up from the sudden flirting. _He is not going to start this, _she thought. She smirked and punched him in the arm with all of her might. The pale boy recoiled and rubbed his forearm.

"Ow! Geez, I was just joking!"

"Don't _ever _do that again. Or next time you'll be a crisp."

The stupid smirk was still prominent on Alec's face. She wanted to so badly slap that smirk off his face, but at the same time it was cute in it's own way. She mentally scolded herself and balled up her fists. She shot him her famous death glare (a lot of people had told her in the past that if looks could kill, she would have massacred everyone with her glare), but it only seemed to have amused him.

"I'm learning of important dates in history, wanna be-"

"Baines!"

She touched him, a tingling sensation spreading throughout her fingers. Alec yelped and glared at her; his eyes twinkling with mischief. His arm hairs were sticking up as if they had been rubbed. He slicked them down.

"You wanna go?" He asked with teasing tugging at his voice. "I can go for a fight right now."

"Sure," she agreed, trying to sound smoldering. "Where to, Corpse Breath?"

"The pub in town. The Slandard Banshee. You. Me. A couple of shots of ye ol' gin."

Alice laughed heavily, not about to contain it anymore, and soon the room was filled with both of their laughter. She felt like she was on a cloud, her head was light from the laughter (she wasn't used to laughing this hard these days) and tears were gathering at the corner of her eyes. Her worries from the night before slipped away temporarily. After a few more minutes of cheesy pick up lines and more laughter, a silence settled back into the room. Alice's eyes wondered back to the world outside, and for a split second her mind wondered to them.

"What's on the agenda today, oh captain my captain?"

Alice rolled her eyes, returning her mind back to her room.

"Well I have to clean up my father's temple in Athens since tourists seem to trash that place up every month, and also I promised the high priestess there I'd help her out. Then, I have some errands to run for Hecate, but other than those things I'm free for the rest of today."

"Sounds exciting, my captain. But, aren't you forgetting something? Or well, two things?"

Alice scrunched her eyebrows in thought. She was forgetting something, but she couldn't remember what. Then, it struck her like lightning. _He _was coming. The other boy that sent her heart into a frenzy, and was the other person who she was closest to, surprisingly. But, yet, she couldn't spend time she desired with him today for she had another duty to perform in Athens.

"I have to help clean out a temple in Athens, and Xander should be coming today_._" She mumbled in thought, but she knew she was forgetting something important.

She noticed Alec frown at the mention of Xander's name, but caught how he tried to mask it through a cool smile. But, she knew that he wasn't too fond of him. Xander had left them at the end of last summer to go study abroad in New York City. Although, he was gone, he still visited Alice on whatever break he got. She had always told him to go visit his mother in Australia, but he always said that same thing. 'Oh she wouldn't mind. Besides, she likes you a lot. She thinks you have common sense, whatever that is!' Alice honestly wanted to strangle that boy. Sometimes he was just so frustrating, and it was clear he frustrated Alec the most out of the three.

"Don't you have a Council meeting today also?"

Alice let out a weary sigh and her smile turned into a deep frown. The Council was her other life, and the organization that she had founded along with a demigod from Justicia by the name of Matthew Constantine. She could almost remember the first meeting ever of the Council two years ago. The Titans had fled America and some had decided to invade the original Olympus in attempts to weakened the Olympians, but yet they weren't expecting Alice and the rest of the demigods that resided in Europe. On that day, the Council had been formed to unite the Roman and Greek demigods in Europe with Marcus at the head.

Alice was to young to be recognized as the official leader (even though she had been the one to destroy Crius in the first place), but she was happy not being the one in charge for once. She gradually ate her breakfast, remembering the huge battle that took place on that day. At least half of the demigod population in Europe had met their demise that day, and now there was at least fifty of them still living: scattered, but near. She looked down at her right wrist, the scar still there as if mocking her; making her feel guilty for all of the deaths. She rubbed it on instinct even though it didn't hurt her as much as it used to. The scar made her remember the cruel words the Titan had said to her that day, and forced her to remember the sheering pain of having your wrist wrapped in a whip that acted like a boa constrictor. It was a miracle that she even made it out of that battle alive.

"Do you think they'll finally let in the 13th member this meeting?"

Alec's question snapped her out of the past, and she put down her fork; her meal no longer looked appetizing. She had been dreading that question for the past few weeks. The Council was made up of 12 members: 6 Greek and 6 Roman. It was perfectly balanced, but due to recent events, Alice and her fellow comrades were being forced to choose a 13th member. She honestly didn't like the thought of it. Unbalancing powers would only create division, and Alice didn't want to see it happen.

"I dunno," she said quietly. "I don't want to though. I don't like the candidate and the only reason why he's able to be the chosen candidate was because he used dirty bribes to get his current position."

Alec's expression darkened at the thought of it all. Honestly, the candidate they had been talking about was not a very popular guy (especially with the ladies. He had a habit of looking down his nose at them), and was bratty beyond anyone Alice and Alec had ever met; which was saying a lot due to her travels. He was a charm speaker though, and that was how he had managed to worm his way into Alice's Council. His name was August Caesar, the bane of Alice's existence.

"I don't think Matthew would approve of him to begin with."

"He has half the Council wrapped around his fingers. There's nothing else we can do. Besides, being a child of Hecate and all, he has that kind of power. Just one word and almost everyone can bend to his will."

"But, yet I haven't."

"That's because you're different." Her voice faltered. "I choose my friends wisely and I expect all of them to see through the truth."

The air turned quiet and the two sat in silence; absorbed in their own thoughts. The sun was shining through the bay window casting a bright shadow onto Alice's desk. She caught sight of the familiar faces of traitors and turned her head away; not wanting to have another breakdown like how she had last night. She had to keep her emotions in check or else it'd ruin everything. Today was not a good day to be an emotional wreck.

"Are you finished with your breakfast?" Alec asked, breaking the silence.

Alice nodded and he carefully picked the tray up; the plate still having half of a crepe left and the orange juice barely even touched. Alice had lost her appetite after the conversation she just had. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach and half wanted to call Matthew to tell him that she felt sick, but she couldn't. She _had _to go; there was no way out of it. She watched Alec leave the room quietly and pushed herself to finally stand up next to her bed. She opened her closet and was greeted by the familiar sight of her golden _chlamys. _She sighed tiredly; not really wanting to put on the cloth.

Alice quickly changed into her normal Council attire; which wasn't much to begin with. It was just her normal clothes underneath her dumb _chlamys_ that always made her feel ridiculous and old. She examined herself in the full sized mirror that was in her closet. She had dark bags underneath her sky blue eyes (which proved that her insomnia and bad dreams had started to take their toll) and her hair was still a mess from her tossing and turning. She ran a hand through her pixie blonde hair, and sighed. She had never really liked looking at herself in mirrors for she hated what she saw sometimes. The sight of her being forced to grow up and take responsibilities that other people should've taken but dumped on her made her feel empty. This was her life, and it had taken a toll on her mentally and physically. _Honestly, being sixteen really sucks if it was going to be like this forever_, she thought bitterly. She looked back into the mirror and noticed that Alec had returned, a cold smile still plastered on his face. He approached her calmly and she turned to face him. She noticed the distance between them had closed and she could vaguely smell him. He smelled slightly of spice and earth, not that she was complaining. She honestly really liked how he smelled. She dug her hands into the front pockets of her skinny jeans, trying to pull off looking cool, and was possibly successful. A slight smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

"You look older in that _chlamys_." He commented, looking her over.

"Don't remind me," She grumbled. "I always look awful."

He shook his head, his smile warming up.

"Nah, I think you just need to have more time for fun."

Alice shrugged, she was used to hearing this from him.

"Maybe when pigs fly and the gods will stop having affairs with mortals, maybe."

Alec let out a snort and crossed his arms across his chest, making him look cooler than how he is.

"I think you and I both know that will never happen, so please make a reasonable comparison next time."

She noticed he was leaning in closer to her, leaning against the door frame of the closet, and she felt a slight feeling of nervousness. She knew how he felt towards her (he had made it obvious on several occasions), but yet she still had no clue how she felt. Sure, this boy always made her stomach do somersaults and always made her feel amazing, but yet Xander was the same way. It was strange for her, she had never experienced this kind of feeling before until now. She shifted nervously in her spot, hoping for Alec to say something to break the ice for it felt like the room was growing hotter (or it could have been her controlling the temperature unintentionally, who knew). She heard someone clear their throat loudly and she turned searching for the source.

A tall girl with chocolate skin and earth brown hair, tied in a ponytail, stood in the doorway. Her dark eyebrows raised, questioning, and her curious brown eyes looked straight at Alec and Alice, analyzing the situation with some thought as if it was some sort of machine she had never seen before. Her white t-shirt had oil stains on it, and her faded denim shorts revealed her dark thick thighs. Both hands were on her hips and her mouth was formed into a frown.

"Sorry to interrupt this intimate and incredible moment between two love birds, but I have some news to deliver from the sort-of-boss-man himself." She said, teasing hinting at the edges of her voice.

Alec back away from her, rolling his eyes and mumbling something about 'Tasha ruining the moment. Zeus almighty, I was just getting somewhere.'. He sat on her bed once again, and she could have sworn he was pouting. Alice let out a sight of relief and silently thanked the gods. Maybe some day she'd figure out her feelings, but for now she was glad she got out of that situation. She smiled gratefully over at Tasha Brown, and closed her closet door behind her.

"Matthew wants you to come early." began Tasha.

"Did he send an Iris message or an eagle?"

"Iris. He couldn't get a hold of you so he decided 'Why not go bother good ol' Tasha while she's working on a very important project, that sounds like tons of fun!' and then BAM! He iris messaged me right when I was in the middle of adding the finishing touches to my new and improved rat extermin-"

"I get it," Alice said calmly, trying her best not to laugh at the other girl's story. "I'll ask for a apology whenever I see him."

"Good!" Tasha crossed her arms in annoyance. "He better be apologizing, or else I'll throw a wrench at his dumb _gaidaros _the next time I see him! He ruined my concentration!"

Alice snorted, and she could hear Alec on her bed; trying to suppress a laugh. Tasha was always working on a project and regardless of what anyone else did; it would always distract her. Maybe it was her ADHD acting, or maybe she also had ADD. Nobody knew except for the girl herself.

"I'll get the message across." Alice replied.

"Good! Stupid boys like Matthew! Man, some days I wish I could just deactivate them!"

Tasha stormed out of the room, her hair swinging around with her body with each move. _For a child of Hephaestus, she's pretty temperamental today. Must've been an important project,_ Alice thought to herself and she sighed. Already today was starting off odd, and she honestly couldn't wait to see how the meeting was going to turn out.


	3. Chapter 3: Xander

**_AN:  
Ayyyyy everyone. Long time, no see. I've just been so busy with work and school that I've sort of just dropped dead for a few days/weeks. Um, I have to say this chapter is probably the shortest I've written. Honestly, it's like 1:30am where I'm at right now and I've literally spent almost two hours formatting the first chapter of this story on archive of our own so I haven't had time to look over all of this.  
Um, yeah, just... introducing a new character.  
So, yeah. Enjoy!_**

* * *

_Xander_

Xander Marcus was not having a good day, and labeling his day as a bad day would've been an underestimate. He was having a great morning until the hell hound had decided to attack him on the subway to his school, Goode Academy. Then, to make the cherry on top Xander's bad day sundae, he was attacked by a couple of gorgons on his way to the airport after the half day at his school. Luckily, he had found a taxi driver willing to drive him to the New York airport in the traffic. He glanced nervously at his watch, his dark green eyes watching the hands closely as they touched the 12:00. He only had 30 minutes until his flight, and so far it looked like the taxi driver was taking his sweet time. The taxi driver was blabbing on about his family, which would have been interesting any other day, but today Xander's thoughts were millions of miles away over the Atlantic sea. He was leaving his second home to return back to his other home in London, England.

He readjusted his black duffel bag on his shoulder, heavy from the two weeks of provisions he had put into the bag. He looked down at his hands,which were clammy from sweat, and rubbed them against his jeans. He shouldn't have been this nervous but considering how his day was going, he had the right to be nervous. He watched as the city passed by him, watching the pedestrians in heavy winter clothing walking around without a care in the world. If only they knew the truth about what laid beyond their small bubble of a world. If only they knew about half-bloods like Xander, maybe they would be able to help. He shook his head of these thoughts, knowing the truth could never happen; it was just some silly fantasy that he wished could happen. He was a half-blood, a very rare one to be exact, so that only made his life a million times miserable.

"So, where ya flying ta, sonnie?"

The taxi driver's Brooklyn accent snapped Xander out of his thoughts. He gave his driver a slight sheepish smile.

"London, sir," He replied, too polite than how he usually would've replied. "I'm going to visit a friend."

The driver snorted.

"Good luck with ya flight then. It's been rumored that we're supposed ta have some snow tonight."

Xander felt his stomach drop. Knowing his luck, it would probably start snowing while he was on the plane. He groaned inwardly and sent up a prayer to Zeus, praying that maybe the king of the skies would have mercy on some poor little demigod such as Xander.

"_Why couldn't I have taken a boat to England?"_ he thought, bitterly. But, he knew that wasn't possible. As much as he would've loved to be in his (and his father's) area of power, he knew getting a boat to England would've made traveling harder on him.

_"Zeus, if you're listening to my pathetic prayer, please please please don't strike me down with lightning and burn me to a crisp. I'd like to live to the ripe age of twenty-two."_

Xander let out a sigh and went to close his eyes, but was interrupted by the taxi suddenly stopping. He looked out his window and noticed that he was already at the airport. He glanced at his watch. 12:15. He still had time to check in and board the plane. He tipped his driver ("Wow, sonnie, thanks for the tip! If ya ever need me again, ya know my number!"), and hustled into the airport.

* * *

Boarding the plane had been ,surprisingly, a breeze for Xander. The clerk at the check-in station had been completely normal. No claws, no snakes growing out of her head, and no green skin. 100% mortal to Xander's relief. He leaned into his plush seat, letting the hum of the plane relax his every muscle. There was barely anyone on board yet, which made him feel even more relaxed. _Maybe, this will be a breeze_, he thought leaning in deeper into his seat. He let his mind wonder to _her _ and let out a sigh. He met Alice about two summers ago in Australia (he was visiting family there), and honestly his life had been interesting since then. There was the constant excitement whenever she was around, and there was never a boring moment whenever he was with her. He could almost smell her, as if she was sitting next to him on the plane. Her familiar smell of some sort of rose perfume, mixed with some sort of lavender. He almost wished she was here to keep him company on this long flight ahead of him. Maybe she would've been able to calm his nerves, and make sure that he wouldn't possibly die on this flight. He let out a tired sigh, and closed his eyes.

"Boy, wake up. You're lucky I'm even letting you fly in my domain."

The deep voice shocked Xander awake and he carefully looked over to his left, clenching his arm rests. Sitting next to him was a face that he had met once before, and never wanted to see again. The man had a dark beard, and matching long raven hair. His blue eyes held a familiar spark in them that Xander had seen all the time back in England. His face was aged, but there was some secret power hidden deep in this age. He wore a pinstripe suit, and could almost be mistaken for a business man if they didn't know better. Xander shifted uncomfortably in his seat, feeling the radiating power off of him. The air felt like it had turned a good negative ten degrees.

"Holy Zeus." Xander mumbled in shock.

The man glared at him, which only made Xander even more terrified for his life. Any other day he would've been up for challenging this man's authority, but today was not the day.

"Boy, don't use my name in vain." Zeus said darkly. "You're lucky I haven't zapped you to a crisp. If you weren't my brother's son, nor my daughter's friend, I would have done it right away."

_"Well, that's comforting." _Xander thought bitterly.

The two sat in silence. Xander looked around, trying his best to avoid the king of the gods' stare. He hoped some mortal would notice the strange man and ask an flight attendant about him, but sadly no one noticed. Xander's gaze returned to Zeus, who seemed lost in thought. He could almost see how Alice was this gods' daughter. They both had that same aura of silent power, and they both had the same far away look when they were thinking about something. Xander cleared his throat and Zeus looked back at him.

"Um, is there a reason why you're here to see me?" Xander asked cautiously.

"You're visiting Alice correct?" The other asked, shooting Xander a good glare.

The teen nodded in response, and notice that the gods' facial expression had softened a little at the mention of Alice. His eyes were distant, but Xander could sense that he was trying to piece together his thoughts.

"Is there something you need me to tell her?" He asked again, hoping that his question wouldn't get him electrocuted.

The question snapped Zeus out of his thoughts, and his expression clouded over just like the sky outside.

"Her birthday is in a week; I need you to take a present to her from me."

"Of course," Xander replied, relaxing a little. "But, why don't you-"

Zeus shot him a dangerous glare, and Xander clammed shut. Zeus then looked at the seat ahead of him, once again his expression became unreadable.

"I haven't been the best father," He mumbled. "But, I want to try to be a better one. I can't directly interact with her, but I can talk to her people around her."

_"I don't think Alice wouldn't be too fond of that."_ Xander thought to himself, but kept quiet. If he even said one word about how he felt about this situation, he'd probably end up in the Underworld at an early age. Xander nodded in response and felt his hand grow warm. He looked down at them and saw a small golden box, about the size of a jewelry box, with matching golden ribbon wrapped around it that formed a bow on top. He wanted to shake it, to maybe hear what might have been inside, but he restrained himself. He knew all too well that whenever gods had presents for other people, not to pry into what the present may be.

"Give this to her." Zeus said, his voice not simply asking, but commanding Xander to do what he said.

"And if she doesn't like it?" Xander asked carefully.

Zeus' expression darkened and he grew silent, but Xander could see something more into his expression. It was caring, and worried at the same time. He actually was trying to be a decent father. Xander for a split second almost felt sympathy for the king of gods. Not being able to talk to your own child directly while they grew up, it must have been hard for him to watch from a far. Xander didn't voice these thoughts, for he knew better, and cleared his throat.

"Is that all?" He asked.

"Also," Zeus said darkly. "Save her."

"Save her?"

Zeus nodded and sighed tiredly.

"My children... never have happy fates, especially Alice. But, you on the other hand, your fate is intertwined with her's since the first day you met her. You can save her."

"Save her from what?"

The gods' face darkened like a storm cloud and he shook his head. Thunder rolled in the distance. A quiet hush fell over the plane. Xander knew something was wrong immediately when he noticed Zeus folding his hands in his lap.

"You'll figure that out eventually. In due time, boy."

With a loud snap, Alice's father folded out of the seat; leaving the teen in confusion and worry over what was waiting for him in England.

_Save her._

What did it all mean, Xander didn't have the slightest clue. He did know that Alice kept things from him, but he never cared to look even further than what he knew about her. But, if something was wrong, he had to find out somehow; even if Alice wouldn't let him in. He leaned back in his seat, and took one look outside the window. The gray clouds had cleared up revealing the bright sun and the pale blue sky that reminded him so much of her. He guessed Zeus had cleared away the snow clouds just so he could make it to London.

"Lift off will begin momentarily." The monotonous voice of the flight attendant stated on the intercom.

He breathed in and closed his eyes. _Save her. _How could he save her if he had no clue what he meant? He felt the plane lurch forward and silently sent a prayer.


End file.
